Best Survival Knife for the Money – Top 10 Survival Knives 2017-2018 [Review]

Imagine yourself getting lost in a dark forest, with no water or food with you and to make your situation worse, you know and you can even feel that there are a lot of aggressive and hungry carnivores out there that are more than happy to give you a warm welcome. You are left with no choice but to sustain and fend for yourself in one way or another until someone finds you or the rescue team discovers your whereabouts. Aside from your presence of mind and willpower, you will need to have sufficient survival resources that will help you get out of trouble. This is where having the best survival knife with you comes in handy.

Types of Survival Knives

Experienced wilderness survivalists consider survival knives as falling to three categories that include camp knives, heavy duty choppers and utility or bushcraft knives which depend on their blade design and blade length.

The heavy chopping tools usually boast a robust construction, with a blade that ranges from 10 inches to as much as 14 inches in length. This also has a weight forward blade design combined with a saber grind. This can also be made from tough steel including 440C, 5160 or 1095. This must also feature a very ergonomic and nonslip handle design that preferably has a textured, cushioned and nonslip surface on its handle that can either be made from Hypalon or Kraton rubber.

Camp knives are the medium sized knives that have less robust construction and blade ranging from 5 inches to 8 inches in length with balance point close to the hilt and a hollow grind or a flat grind. This also features an ergonomic handle allowing the knife to be held in various positions.

Lastly, the utility or bushcraft knife is a knife with a blade measuring from 3.5 to 5 inches with a drop point, clip point or spear point blade design and hollow grind or flat grind with ergonomic design handle.

Best Survival Knife Reviews – Top 10 Survival Knives

Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife

The Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Serrated Knife is the product of the collaboration of Bear Grylls’ extensive adventure and outdoor survival experience and Gerber’s more than 70 years of gear and knife expertise.

Bear is very much aware of what it really takes to survive under the most extreme situations. This particular survival knife has been meticulously crafted and designed by Bear and Gerber to provide and perform several functions and purposes in any particular environment.

The fine edge and fixed point knife also comes with a sharpener in sheath, a fire starter and whistle on its lanyard. It has an overall length of 10 inches weighing at just 11.2 ounce.

Its design alone is already more than proof enough of its makers’ expertise in the field of survival and no doubt, its pedigree is not bad at all. If this is the first time that you will be holding such a knife, you will surely be surprised with its look, the way it feels in your hands and its quality as a whole.

This medium sized knife is good enough to be your partner when you are out in an adventure and you want a handy tool to get you going.

Unlimited Wares Heavy Duty Military Tactical Survival Knife

If you happen to be in the market looking for a knife that will feel solid in your hand and tough enough to perform heavy duty jobs with an easy to use and carry functional size, this knife is what you need.

The Unlimited Wares Heavy Duty Military Tactical Survival Knife is 12 inches long and made from one piece of machined stainless steel. This has a weight of less than a pound. It is a great serious knife suitable for those who spend most of their time outside and would want a knife that they can depend on.

Upon holding the knife, its grip will feel very solid in your hand, thanks to the handle’s contoured shape. The cross guard also creates properly placed confidence knowing that you can use this tactical knife with force and it will never slip no matter what.

With an overall length of 12 inches and blade length of 7 inches, this is very sharp and ready for use. This can work for any task you might need or have to do when you are out in the open. For those who want a reliable hunting knife that works and looks great, this is the ultimate must have for your camping and hunting trips.

With the market being flooded with competing survival, tactical and combat products in the past few years, it is always a relief to go for trusted name and brand that you can count on. The Chaos Ready® 5 in 1 Survival Knife lives up to expectations and is guaranteed to be a superb addition to your tactical ability or existing combat gear.

This knife is highly recommended by many of its users. This has always been a famous and in demand choice among many like-minded people. Chaos Ready is known for passing on some amazing touches, and with this particular knife, you can look forward to a better value for your money.

The Chao Ready has been born from requirement, the true result of long years of real life application and experience. It doesn’t matter if you will go hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, search and rescue or you just need something great for your everyday tasks. With Chaos Ready, you are sure that you are always ready.

All products under the brand are backed by their warranty. As far as your survival is at stake, you need extra confidence knowing that you got with you the highest quality product like Chaos Ready.

Gerber Prodigy Survival Knife

Every time you go hunting, fishing, camping or other types of outdoor activities, you surely want to have a knife that can keep up with the tasks at hand. Most of the time, you will want it to be easy to carry and compact. At the same time, it needs to have a blade designed for cutting through what it needs to. For this, the Gerber Prodigy Survival Knife promises to do just that for you.

The Gerber Prodigy Survival Knife has full tang 420HC stainless steel blade, coated with black oxide for preventing corrosion and potential glare coming from sunlight when it hits steel. By merely looking at the blade, you are going to notice right away its extremely pointed knife point and the serrated area near the handle, allowing you to use it for various tasks.

This also comes with the sheath with friction release thumb lock, leg strap and two additional straps for keeping it safely attached exactly where you want it to. It also has textured grip on its handle so that you can hold it with ease even if you tend to have wet hands.

With a limited warranty, you can have the peace of mind knowing that you are protected against unwanted product defects.

Gerber Bear Grylls Folding Sheath Knife

Many survivalists are a big fan of Gerber knives and tools. One of their products is the Gerber Bear Grylls Folding Sheath Knife. Belonging to the Survival Series banner, this knife has the distinctive BG logo of the British adventurer and TV personality. His name is scrawled across its blade yet all the rest is certified Gerber.

The knife has high carbon stainless steel blade of 3.6 inches, serrated on its lower half. Once locked into place, this feels tight and secure yet still easy to open if needed. Upon closing the blade, this can slide nicely into its sheath. With its combined weight of only 5.3 ounces, you will barely notice that you are carrying it on your belt. In case you are wondering, the knife alone is merely 4.3 ounces. The package also comes complete with the Priorities of Survival pocket guide.

The knife can cut through almost everything you threw at it, from plastic to cloth and rope. After several times of use, its blade still remains sharp with the ability of doing a great job at holding a good edge. From the initial good impression of taking it out of the package to the actual use of this knife, you know that you got a great value for your money.

Gerber Paraframe Mini Knife, Tanto Point

At a 1.5 oz, there is no reason not to include Gerber Mini Paraframe Tanto Point Knife in your checklist daily. If you are looking for a minimalist tactical blade, this knife is an effective but simple tool.

It is lighter than the set of car keys and it comes from the same drawing board as its bigger Paraframe siblings as well as provides new meaning to the traveling light. The tanto point and fine edge blade are small, yet remain effective a range of daily needs, from opening a regular cardboard box to slicing through the stubborn rope.

Don’t be fooled with this three-inch folded size of this knife. Gerber provides this tool the same attention to detail, which has won the bigger Paraframe models a dedicated following. You will notice the frame lock design and ergonomic metal handle. Aside from that, it delivers the same balanced feel and positive blade engagement.

One of the features of this knife includes a frame lock that provides a bomber blade control. It has also a fine edge blade that’s very easy to sharpen. Its blade is also coated with black titanium nitride that reduces any unwanted reflection and fight against corrosion.

Schrade SCHF9 Extreme Survival Knife

When hunting, hiking, and camping, it’s always a good idea to be ready for a survival situation and having a quality made survival knife can make a difference. Survival knives have different purposes and if you are looking for one, choosing Schrade SCHF9 Extreme Survival Knife is never a bad choice.

In terms of features, it has plenty to offer. When compared to some survival knives out there, this product has numerous benefits and will surely give you the best value of what you’ve spent. Its drop point style blade is made of a 1095 high carbon steel, which is known for durability. Other features you will like about this knife is a ballistic belt sheath with lanyard and removable storage pouch and ring textured handle slabs that comes with a lanyard hole.

This knife is also perfect for professional level and recreational use. So, if you are planning to enjoy camping or hunting with your friends, this knife is a great tool to have. As a matter of fact, it is highly recommended and will surely make your camping activities much hassle-free and convenient. But, you need to be 18 years old and above for you to use this kind of knife.

ASR Outdoor 11 Inch Full Tang Survival Serrated Knife

There are numerous survival knives you can choose from once you shop around the market. However, you have to take note that not all will give you convenience and some might not live up to your expectations. That is why it’s always best to settle and pick a survival knife that does its job and won’t give you any issues. One of the best survival knives you can rely on is ASR Outdoor 11” Full Tang Survival Serrated Knife.

It is a perfect addition to any outdoor or camping tool collection. The best thing about this knife is that it is made of 440 stainless steel that comes with a tanto point and serrated spine. In addition to that, this eleven-inch knife features a magnesium rod fire starter. Therefore, if you need fire, you can have it in just a few seconds using this knife. How cool is that? It also features a paracord wrapped handle in either orange, neon green, green camo or digital camo.

Rogue River Tactical Hunting Knife

Nothing beats a hunting knife that comes with an emergency or survival kit and that is what you will get with Rogue River Tactical Hunting Serrated Knife. This heavy duty knife features an emergency kit, which includes fishing hooks, fishing line, compass, matches, and needles.

This 9.5-inch survival knife also includes a black nylon sheath and comes with a handle that offers comfortable grip. Unlike other hunting knives, it has a nice size and lightweight. That is why it’s easy to carry, no matter where you go.

Rogue River Tactical Hunting Serrated Knife is also well-balanced and easy to grip. The steel handle comes with 6 rubber O-shaped rings. These make gripping the handle much easier and will keep your hands from slipping. The blade’s top has a 2.5-inch serrated blade and a 1.5-inch serrated edge. It can also be used for cutting woods or small branches.

Its handle features a compartment with a built-in compass as well as emergency supplies that could save one’s life if stuck in the wilderness and requires a match to start a fire to stay warm. The fishing hooks are also a great feature as these can help when catching fish for food.

Snake Eye Tactical Knife 9-Inch Navy SEALs Combat Bowie Knife

This 9-inch tactical fixed blade knife by Snake Eye Tactical Knife is a product that has a lot to offer. It has thick, stainless steel blade and includes a nylon sheath.

It’s a great knife for the price. It’s heavy and solid enough to feel good in your hand. It is sharpened well and has no damage. Although there are other better knives in the market, many people highly recommend this knife, especially for those who wish to have a cheap solid knife that they can use camping or hiking.

This knife is very durable and its sturdy built will make any cutting task much easier. It is also well-designed and light to carry. If you want to buy a quality made tactical knife, this knife from Snake Eye Tactical Knife will complete your survival kit. Aside from being lightweight, its sharpness lasts longer and requires low maintenance. If you know how to sharpen it properly, you can be assured that you will not have a dull knife. You can also polish its blade for it to look better always.

Available at a reasonable cost, you can use this for cutting ropes, cutting small branches, carving spears, cutting squid or fish, and so much more.

Guide to Choose the Best Survival Knife

Surviving in the wild is no doubt one of the hardest and toughest situations that you can ever encounter in your life. This can prove to be much harder if you don’t have the right gear with you. A quality survival knife is among the most crucial gear pieces that you should have so that you can make it out safely in the wild. Having the correct knife will let you accomplish a lot of things. But first, you have to know how to choose the most ideal survival knife that suits your specific needs.

Foldable or Straight:- When looking for a knife that will increase your chances of survival, your first consideration is whether you will go for a foldable or straight one. While these two are both extremely beneficial, chances are you will have some specific preferences which can be better served by either one or the other. Keeping this in mind, you must first take time to fully understand your needs prior to looking into the benefits of these two.

Purpose and Function:- As already mentioned above, your specific desires and needs must come first before anything else. How exactly do you plan to use this knife? Would you like to carry the knife with you all the time? Do you prefer one that is completely concealable? Are you working in a dangerous field which requires a knife to help you protect yourself?

Your Usage:- How will you be using the survival knife? Would it be for cutting branches that can be used for kindling, for hunting or for protecting yourself? When you know exactly how you will use the knife, it will be so much easier for you to choose the right knife for your specific needs.

Concealment:- Do you find it important to conceal the knife? If you prefer to easily carry the knife with you in the public, you have to choose a survival knife that offers concealment. If this is not a main concern, this feature will not be that dire.

The Situation:- What kinds of dangers are you going to face with your knife? Are you going to face potentially risky situations which call for quick reflexes? Or, do you want a knife that will serve you in a campout? You have to think of all the possible dangers you are going to face while doing activities that you enjoy.

Your Budget:- How much can you spend on your survival knife? Even though it is important to consider affordability, your survival and your safety are the most important of them all. Thus, you will be better off with a middle point which is going to fit the characteristics at their finest.

The moment you have addressed all of these questions, it is about time that you can consider yourself ready to choose the best survival knife that can be your perfect companion no matter where you go and wherever life will take you.

Conclusion

Your quest for the best survival knife will not be complete without an insightful and detailed knowledge of the various types and brands of survival knives. Many of the traders that you can find in the market right now are just after the money of customers. The best knife to help increase your chances of survival will basically depend on the specific environment that you are dealing with as well as the activities that you are planning to perform with the knife. Just remember that buying the right knife doesn’t mark the end of your responsibility. You have to take extra care of your survival companion on a regular basis for it to remain in its prime condition.